


See You in Another Life

by perfect-porcelain (kathleenhasfeelsandwords)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-02
Updated: 2012-12-02
Packaged: 2017-11-20 01:40:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/579899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kathleenhasfeelsandwords/pseuds/perfect-porcelain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Over countless years Harry and Louis are forced to be ripped apart only to be brought back together if only for a fleeting moment in time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	See You in Another Life

**Author's Note:**

> So I was rewatching Lost and one of the characters always says “see you in another life” as a goodbye. This just got the wheels in my head turning and this is what happened. I’m not sure if this will make you cry but…it might? I don’t know. But man…10,000 words. Hot damn. You guys better like it or else I’mma be really sad.

_Souls that are bound to each other are destined to spend eternity searching for the other. In some lives they find each other and in others they are left to wander alone. They constantly come together and move apart throughout time. That is the fate of the star-crossed lovers._

**Troy: 1184 BC**

“Did you see her? Did you see Helen?” Harry whispers softly to the boy next to him and the blonde head looks up from the well.

“I saw a glimpse, yeah.”

“Isn’t she beautiful?” Harry sighs and Niall just rolls his eyes.

“Don’t get caught up in all that Harry, trust me.” Niall heaves the clay pot from the ground, letting out a little grunt and Harry rushes to help.

“But I mean I do have to see her in the hallways. Louis’s chamber is close to hers.” He says around the pot and Niall stopped and gave him a look. “Right, right sorry.”

They make it to Louis’s chamber and Niall sets the pot down. “Thanks for helping with this.” Harry nods to the boy who turns to leave.

“You’re welcome. I’ve got to get back to Liam in the kitchens but come around later when you’re done helping Louis and we can eat together okay?” Harry nods and watches Niall leave. Once he’s gone, he drags the clay pot over to the tub and pours the water in and starts a fire under it to warm the water. He knows that Louis is off training with his brothers Hector and Paris. Well…half brothers but that’s beside the point. To be honest he’s confused as to why Paris is still bothering with training when he has Helen in his own chambers. He’ll never understand the thoughts of a prince.

He moves to Louis’s bed and quickly changes the sheets. Sometimes he wishes he could just keep the dirty sheets for himself but he would surely get caught. It’s not worth dying over fine linen. He looks up when he hears laughter in the hallway and quickly straightens the sheets and stands up straight as Louis walks into the room.

“Did you have a good training session my prince?” Harry hurries over to help Louis out of his leather armor and unbuckles the sword from his side.

“Very good thank you.” Louis holds his arms out for Harry to slip off the leather wrist bands that protect his forearms and then helps him step out of the leather skirt and sandals.

“I’ve got your bath waiting for you. Would you like me to stay and help you bathe?”

“That won’t be necessary.” Louis waves him off and Harry gives a little bow. “I would like to eat in my room though.”

“Of course. I shall go fetch you dinner then.” Harry excuses himself and walks the familiar route to the kitchen where Niall looks up at him, confused.

“I didn’t think you would be here this early.”

“Louis wants to eat in his chambers,” he explains and Niall nods, bustling around to gather a tray of fruits, cheeses, breads, and sweet rolls for Harry to take back to Louis. Niall slipped him an extra sweet roll and winked before sending Harry back.

Just as he walked back into the door he heard Louis call out for him. He set down the tray on the table and walked into the side room with the tub and laid eyes on the beautiful human that was Louis. He was bronzed from his days outside training and his body was packed with muscle. It was no surprise that everyone found him enchanting and he was surprised that Helen hadn’t come calling but then again, Louis wasn’t the first line to the throne and though Helen was a sight to behold, she was also cunning and wise beneath her beauty. She wanted the throne.

Harry blinked out of his stupor and hurried around to the side of the tub with a towel and a tunic for Louis to put on after he toweled him down.

“I’ve got a dinner ready for you sir.” He gestured for Louis to follow him to the table and stood next to him as Louis sat down and held up a bushel of grapes to feed to Louis as he lounged back in the chair.

“What do you think of this Greek business Harry?” Louis mused and Harry was a little shocked that Louis was asking him. Louis’s blue eyes fell on him and he snapped out of it.

“Well they are stupid for trying to fight against Troy. We have the best army.” He shrugged and a smile curled onto Louis’s face.

“Yes…I do think they will try and attack soon don’t you? They’ve been outside our walls for too long to not do something.”

“And you’ll be ready for them if they do.”

Louis just smiles and opens his mouth for another grape.

*

“Did you see the giant horse this morning?” Niall asks him over his quick breakfast and his brow furrows in confusion.

“What?”

“Yeah, the Greeks brought in this giant wooden horse this morning.” Niall shrugs. “Something about a gift of truce.” Harry stuffs the last bit of bread in his mouth and rushes out towards the courtyard of the palace and sure enough there’s a wooden horse that stands about 30 feet tall just sitting in the middle. People loiter around it and he hesitantly goes closer but quickly backs up. He’s got a sudden bad feeling about it and plus he needs to get to Louis.

He heads to the chambers and find Louis just now waking up. “Harry?” The boy says sleepily and he moves towards his bedside.

“Would you like breakfast my prince?” He asks and Louis nods sleepily and stretches, muscles rippling across his limbs and Harry brings the food that another servant had brought to Louis’s beside. He hands the platter to him and pours water in a cup and sets it on the bedside table.

“Louis!” Paris steps into the room and Louis straightens in his bed and Harry politely steps back to allow the brothers communicate. “Did you see the gift the Greeks brought?” Louis’s face contorts into a confused expression.

“What?”

“Oh get out of bed,” Paris rolls his eyes and Louis sighs, clambering out of bed and Harry rushes over to the wardrobe to grab a fresh tunic and help Louis into his sandals. Paris watches him with interest. “You have quite a good manservant. I might have to take him off your hands some day.”

Louis quickly looks at Harry and they catch gazes and Louis looks back at Paris with a shake of his head. “No, Harry’s mine,” he says rather protectively and Harry feels his heart swell a little bit but he’s not really sure why. The two brothers head out to the courtyard and Harry follows at a respectful distance.

“Huh. Would you look at that? What are we supposed to do with a wooden horse? Ride it?” Louis chuckles and Paris laughs as well.

“Poor excuse of a gift if you ask me. At least Helen is safe now.” Paris shrugs and Louis nods. “Now come on brother, let’s celebrate with a mid-day feast.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Louis beams and Harry just sighs because that means carrying more food.

*

Harry sleeps in the room next to Louis’s on a thin pallet that does absolutely nothing for comfort. He tosses and turns practically every night but tonight is worse. He just can’t shake the feeling something was going to happen.

He twitches and sits up straight in a cold sweat, eyes opened wide when he hears screaming. His heartbeat thuds quickly and he scrambles to his feet and rushes into Louis’s chamber. The man is still sleeping and he shakes him awake.

“Louis. Louis wake up!” He says in a fearful voice and Louis jerks awake.

“Wha? What’s going on?”

“I don’t know my prince. I just heard screaming.” His eyes are huge by this point and Louis throws back the linen sheets and stumbles to his feet. He throws on his own tunic for once and grabs his sword. Harry follows him and they both wheel back at what’s in front of them. The wooden horse is aflame but that’s not what’s concerning. Men are everywhere in foreign armor, ransacking the city. Louis jumps into action.

“Louis wait!” He calls after the man and Louis stops and turns towards him and Harry throws him his sandals and Louis catches them, slipping into them easily.

“Thanks,” Louis says as he jumps over the railing and lands on his feet. Harry watches as his sword is a deadly whirl of metal and soon the group around Louis is knocked down. Louis looks back up at him with a grin on his face to which he smiles back too but then that’s wiped off his face as a sword runs through the boy’s body.

“Louis!” He screams as the beautiful body falls to the ground, a ghost of a smile still plastered on that face. He jumps over the railing and a red haze clouds his vision as he grabs Louis’s fallen sword and he goes after the man who killed Louis but then he feels something cold go through him and he’s falling next to Louis.

The ghost of a smile is the last thing he sees.

*

_Troy was the beginning of their relationship. One was higher than the other but deep down both knew their connection even if they didn’t act on it. Troy was the first but most certainly not the last._

*

**Pompeii: 76 AD**

His mum always says that he was born the day before the earthquake. The earthquake that brought terrible omens. Perhaps that’s why she refused to mother him. That was okay, he preferred being with Harry anyways.

He walked along the dusty path towards Harry’s house and quickly turned down the narrow street, dodging carts and women carrying jugs of water. He slipped through the market and waved at a few of the vendors and turned down Harry’s street.

“Louis!” He looked up at Harry coming out of one of the temples and he gave him a weird look.

“Were you praying?”

“Sacrifice. Got a weird feeling.” Harry shrugs and just smiles as he walks down the steps and jumped in front of him. Louis felt a little tickle at the back of his mind but he ignored it. He sometimes got it around Harry but he didn’t think it was that weird. “Were you looking for me?”

“Well of course. Thought we were going swimming in the river today.” He smiles wide and Harry’s face lit up.

“Oh yeah!”

“You forgot didn’t you?”

“No of course not.” Harry brushed him off and Louis laughed.

“You so forgot. That’s okay. You get the test the waters first then.” He winks and Harry rolls his eyes but allows it as they walk past the temple and towards the outskirts of the city of Pompeii where the river runs.

“What kind of weird feeling?” He asks after a little bit of silence. Harry head whips to look at him and he has a little panicked look on his face. “Woah hey you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“No it’s fine. I just…I dunno, feel like something bad’s going to happen soon that’s all,” Harry shrugs as he rips off a leaf from the tree flanking the river and strips it down to the stem like Louis knows he does when he’s nervous.

“Have you had this before?” He asks as he takes off his sandals and tunic while Harry leans against a tree, his sandals already off.

“I feel like I have but I don’t remember when. It’s like when you think you remember something but whenever you try to focus on it, it doesn’t come to mind you know?” Harry looks up from his leaf that he throws to the ground and pushes off the trunk and strips off his own tunic. “Anyways I’m sure it’s nothing. Now excuse me as I jump into this river.” Harry beams at him and then jumps with a loud whoop and lands in the lazily moving river with a splash. Louis watches with a smile on his face as Harry surfaces from under the water with a loud yell.

“Is it cold?” He cups his hands around his mouth to call to Harry who turns, long hair plastered on his face and a bright look in his eyes.

“Come in Lou!” Harry splashes and he jumps back with a glare.

“Excuse me, I’ll come in at my own pace,” Louis sniffs as he makes his way to the bank and puts a toe in the water. It didn’t feel super cold so that’s okay. He looks up and doesn’t see Harry at least until…

“Gotcha!” Harry’s arms wrap around his midsection and they both fall into the water with a loud splash. He pushes away from Harry and surfaces with sputtering and pushes Harry who comes up with laughter.

“Harry! I can’t believe you did that!”

“Oh come on, you wouldn’t have come in otherwise,” Harry grins and Louis just rolls his eyes and lays on his back, floating on the surface of the cool water. Harry does the same and they float in silence, eyes closed.

“This is nice,” he says after a while and turns his head, one eye closed against the water and sees Harry just sunning himself as they float lazily with the current. He knows that Harry’s always been beautiful but in this moment he’s really struck at just how beautiful he is. The sun streams through the trees that line the river and settles on his skin like it’s heaven. Harry opens one moss green eye and looks at him.

“What?”

He opens his mouth to say something when they’re jolted and Louis jerks to an upright position.

“What in the gods name was that?” He looks at Harry with wide eyes who looks back at him with the same expression. They swim to the bank and climb out. Their clothes are a good half mile up ahead and they hurry to them, Louis cursing Jupiter and Juno the whole way as sticks poke and prod his feet. They make it to their little pile and quickly throw the worn linen on and pull on their sandals before running back to the town.

Harry skids to a stop and holds his arm out so that Louis runs into it.

“Harry what are you—“ He starts before stopping and gasps. The giant mountain that he had grown up with in his bedroom window has a huge cloud of black ash and he can see from here the orange of the lava flowing down from the top. “My mum.” He says simply and takes off at a sprint towards his house where he knows that his mother will still be. He hears Harry running after him, calling his name and begging him to leave her. He ignores him of course and pushes his way through the fleeing people to where his house lay near the middle of the city.

“Mum?” He calls out as he rushes into the open air building. He finds he curled up in a ball. He hesitantly moves closer and reaches out to gently touch her shoulder. “Mum?” he asks again.

“This is your fault.” She whispers and he shakes his head in confusion. “This is your fault!” She looks up and screams and he jumps back. “I knew I should have killed you when I had the chance. Seventeen years the priestess told me. Seventeen years and the omens would come true. This is your fault!” He jerks back and Harry’s there to catch him.

“Louis come on! There’s nothing we can do.” Harry urges him out the door and he’s bewildered at what mother just told him. The volcano is spewing more and more ash as each second passes and the air is quickly become thick with it and he begins coughing.

“We need to get out of here!” He yells over the screams and the crying of the people around them and takes Harry’s hand tightly to lead them through the frantic crowds. He almost loses his grip on Harry when a man barrels into him with a panicked look on his face.

It’s getting hard to see at this point and he and Harry both are coughing almost as much as they’re sucking in oxygen.

“Louis it’s too late.” Harry whispers in his ear with a ragged voice, his breath coming out in a wheeze.

“No, we can do this Harry, I’m not going to die.” He says with a determined look and Harry shakes his head and lets his hand go. “Harry what are you doing?”

“We aren’t going to make it Louis and I don’t know about you,” he sucks in a deep breath and coughs a few times before continuing, “but I would rather spend my last moments next to you than to trying and failing to get out of here.”

Louis’s torn at trying to flee and staying with Harry. He sees the look in those green eyes that held such life and happiness not but an hour earlier but are now dull and have just a tiny spark left in them. “Okay Harry.” He says softly and he hugs him tightly and they sit down against a wall and hold each other, coughs wracking their body but they’re together and not alone.

“Thanks for staying with me.” Harry says weakly and Louis suddenly gets a flash of Harry against a stone background with flames in his eyes and his eyes widen.

“You…I remember.” He says in awe as the ash covers them and they both suck in their last breath.

*

_Pompeii was where they became more entangled in each other. It was where they grew together._

*

**England: 1349**

“Milord, the castle is secure.” Harry kneels one on knee and bows his head.

“Good. Make sure to get the sick out.” A gruff voice says from the throne and Harry rose to his feet and gave another bow before walking out of the throne room. He almost runs into a person waiting outside and he jerks back before he could.

“Louis what are you doing?” He hissed and Louis just gave him a grin and shrugs.

“Wanted to hear what he wanted us to do.”

“And you don’t think I would have told you and the rest of the knights?” He pushes past the less experienced knight.

“You’re scared aren’t you?” Louis follows him and catches up to walk next to him. Harry doesn’t look him in the eye. “You are! Harry we’ll be fine. It’s not going to spread to us.”

Harry wheels on him and glares. “Oh yeah and how do you know that Louis? I’ve seen Niall and Liam both die from it and I’m pretty sure Zayn’s next. He’s got that look in his eyes that they both had before him.”

Louis cowers away and swallows. “I just have a feeling that’s all,” he whispers and Harry sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“Come on, we need to get all the sick people out of the castle.”

*

Louis leans against the stone wall and brings his knees to his chest and Harry sits down next to him.

“Hey.” Louis doesn’t move at the sound of his voice. Harry shifts and crosses his legs at the ankle in front of him.

“You were right.” Louis says softly and Harry looks down at his hands. They sit in silence until it’s almost night and Harry drifts off, head rolling on Louis’s shoulder and he dreams.

He dreams of a shiny sword and a grin and blood. Then he dreams of a mountain of ash and the clasp of hands.

He jerks awake and swallows, sitting up straight and sees Louis’s eyes closed but he can tell that he’s not actually asleep. “Louis?”

“Do you think we’re going to die Harry?” Louis’s blue eyes open and he rolls his head so that he’s gazing into his green ones.

“What happened to yesterday with the positivity?”

“That was before Zayn,” Louis says simply.

“I don’t know Louis. I really don’t. But we can’t go around scared okay? We are knights and knights don’t believe in fear.” He says simply and Louis nods and Harry flashes back to his dream of the ash and he hesitates for a second but it passes and he’s sure that it doesn’t mean anything. He rises from his place on the wall and pulls Louis to his feet. “Let’s go get some real sleep how’s that?”

*

He wakes up two days later Louis crying and he sits up, confused.

“Louis?”

“Harry,” Louis sniffs and he stumbles out of bed and finds Louis shivering in his own.

“Louis.” He breathes and his eyes widen as he sees the pale sheen on the man’s skin and Louis sniffs again, his blue eyes glazed over and a tiny little smile curls on his face.

“You were the wrong one this time.” Louis says weakly and Harry knows that the Black Death has already taken his friend. It’s rare to see the disease spread so quickly but he’s seen it before and he’s sure he’ll see it again but he knows that he doesn’t want to. He doesn’t want to stick around without Louis.

He brushes Louis’s hair back softly and sees the boils on his arms and neck. The signs that death is soon.

“Will you stay with me?” Louis asks softly and Harry is jolted back to his dream from the other night but this time something clicks and he realizes that it wasn’t a dream. His eyes widen and he suddenly remembers Troy and the siege and the glint of the sword with Louis’s blood. He remembers Pompeii and the river and the holding each other till the very end.

Something changes in Louis’s eyes as well and Harry knows that he remembers too.

“Harry I…” Louis trails off and Harry takes his hand tightly.

“I don’t want to go out without you.” Harry says in a rushed voice and a spark lights Louis’s eyes and for a second he forgets that Louis is going to die but so far that’s how they’ve always ended. Together, always dying together. “We can be separated.” He hugs Louis close and they whisper memories (or is it dreams?) to one another.

“Remember…” Louis says weakly, his eyes closing and stays silent for a while and Harry isn’t sure if he’s dead or not. “Remember me…the next time we meet okay?” Louis opens his eyes and Harry nods frantically, tears slipping down his cheeks.

“Remember me too Lou,” he says in a fierce whisper and Louis gives a weak nod.

“I lo—“ Louis starts but he doesn’t get to finish as the light goes out and Harry’s left sobbing next to a lifeless body of the boy he loved for three lifetimes and never got the chance to say so.

*

_The Black Death was the first time they didn’t leave hand in hand. But they remember. They begin to remember._

*

**Italy: 1503**

“Da Vinci? He’s crazy though!” Louis laughs and Harry shrugs.

“He’s a genius.” Harry sighs and leans back against the chair. Louis looks over at him with a little smirk and brings a plate over the table in their tiny little cubby hole they called a house.

“You’re in love aren’t you?” Louis sits down and puts his head in his hand and arches and eyebrow and Harry laughs, grabbing at the bread and ripping off a bit to pop into his mouth.

“I’m learning from him Lou. He’s amazing to watch,” Harry sighs again and Louis can’t help but smile. Harry, his lovely painter. His lovely, lovely painter.

“You’re lucky one of us works, otherwise we would be starving,” he sniffs and Harry laughs again, a sweet noise that Louis loves to hear every day.

“I’m not sure working at the mill counts as work,” Harry teases and Louis cuffs him on the head.

“Where do you think your bread comes from?”

“I was kidding!” Harry pouts and Louis leans back into his own chair. Louis remembers when they first met when Harry was just coming to the city of Florence and like a scared little puppy. He remembers catching his eye and feeling an instant…connection? Was that it? Harry must have felt something too because he came walking over and they’ve never looked back since.

Louis rises from his seat and Harry’s eyes follow him.

“Where are you going?” Harry asks with his mouth full.

“We’re out of cheese. I was going to go down to the market and grab some. Why, do you want to come?” He turns and arches an eyebrow and Harry grabs his bread and stands up with a nod.

“We could stop by Da Vinci’s too! I want to show you my recent painting,” Harry smiles and Louis agrees. He always likes looking at what Harry can do.

They walk down the street, staying close to the other while they exchange stories of their recent experiences. Louis tells about a man who fell asleep in the mill and almost got his hand grinded to little bits. Harry scrunches his nose at that. Louis had momentarily forgotten that the painter wasn’t the type for violence. He was an artist and believed in the good of things. Harry told him about almost spilling the paints he had just mixed and how he felt his heart almost stop as everything slowed down.

“Well good thing you didn’t then,” Louis smiles and Harry nods in relief.

“I think he would have killed me.” Harry says, leaning against the stall as Louis pays for a hunk of cheese and slips it into his side bag. Louis turns to him and smirks.

“But he’s an old man, you don’t think you could have taken him?” He asks as they begin walking toward Da Vinci’s house.

“He would have beaten me mentally and artistically,” Harry grins and Louis laughs.

“Doesn’t that happen every day though?”

“Hey!”

“Kidding, kidding.”

They get to the house and Harry knocks on the door. “Leo?” He calls out and they hear shuffling around inside and the door opens to reveal a grizzled man with wild hair and a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.

“Harry! Back so soon?”

“I just wanted to show Louis what I’ve been working on,” Harry gestures to Louis and Leo notices him standing a little behind Harry.

“Ah Louis, haven’t seen you around in a while,” Leo nods to him.

“Someone’s got to make sure that this one has food,” He says with a chuckle and Leo laughs as well.

“Good thinking on that one. Well come on in,” Leo opens the door and Louis follows Harry inside. He’s been in this house plenty of times, sometimes even without Harry there. Leonardo was a kind man and the way he saw the world was magical to watch.

Harry takes his hand and leads him to the back where Leo’s studio was. Harry stops in front of a painting with a proud grin on his face. “Well? What do you think?”

Louis looks at the painting. It was both dark and light at the same time. The top was dark gray and the bottom were flames. The more he looks at it, the more he feels something stirring inside him.

“Louis?” Harry asks tentatively. “Do you not like it?”

Louis looks in the bottom corner and gasps. It was a castle. He wheeled back and almost knocked over the canvases behind him.

“Louis!” Harry rushed forward in concern. He could feel himself shaking.

“Troy, Pompeii, Black Death.” He whispers to himself, eyes wide open and cold sweat on his brow.

“What?” Harry grabs his shoulders and shakes him. “Louis what’s wrong?”

He looks up and stares right into Harry’s eyes. “Troy, Pompeii, Black Death.” He says again in a low whisper and Harry looks confused for a second and then his eyes widen.

“Oh god.”

“I wondered when you two would figure it out.” Leonardo says from the doorway and they both look at him.

“You knew?” Harry asks fiercely.

“Of course I knew. I knew the first time you brought Louis to me. I could almost see the thread that ties you two together, the one that always brings you back to the other.” Leo smiles gently. “You two are destined to walk this earth always searching for the other. Tell me, why can you only remember the three times you have met before? Obviously you must have lived more than that.”

They both look at each other and it’s true. They can only remember the three past lives where they were entangled.

“It’s because you never met in the other lives. They don’t matter unless you meet each other.” Leo says easily and they turn towards each other slowly.

“So…are we always going to die young?” Louis asks and Leo just shrugs.

“That’s the question isn’t it?” Leo winks and slips away.

“What were you going to tell me?” Harry asks softly and Louis turns towards him.

“What?”

“Before you died of the plague. You were going to tell me something,” Harry says and Louis shakes his head.

“I don’t remember. I just remember random memories. Like…I remember…I remember Helen and you being my servant,” he snorts and that. “You were my servant.” He giggles and Harry swats him.

“Oi! If you recall I was your higher knight last life.” Harry raises an eyebrow and Louis shrugs. And they chuckle until it dies down and they’re just looking at each other.

“Are we always going to have to do this?” He asks softly and Harry cocks his head.

“Do what?”

“Remembering,” he looks up shyly and Harry has a sad expression on his face.

“Probably. But we found each other this time right?”

“Yeah, I suppose,” he sighs and looks down again.

“Hey,” Harry steps closer. “If Leo is right, we have infinite time with each other. In this life and the next.”

Louis smiles and nods. “Of course.” Harry smiles as well because they found each other and they remember and that might just be the most special thing that they both ever had.

*

_The Renaissance was a special time for them both. They died old men and they died in their sleep, hands clasped together like Pompeii and whispering promises that they would find the other soon._

_It falls down in the next._

*

**Salem: 1692**

“Louis,” Harry hisses and Louis turns around in his pew.

“Not now Harry,” Louis hisses back and turns back around and Harry bites his lip but sits back against the stiff wood in the hot, stuffy church. The preacher drones on and on and it’s hard for him to sit still but he forces himself to do so until finally with one last prayer they can exit the church.

“Louis!” He calls out as Louis walks ahead of him, arm in arm with a woman, Eleanor. They both turn at his voice. He sees Louis sigh and says something to Eleanor and she nods, watching them curiously as he walks up to Harry.

“Yes?”

“I—“ How can he say this?

“What Harry?” Louis asks impatiently and he sighs.

“I was just going to ask if you and Eleanor wanted to eat with me tonight.” He slumps and Louis looks at him in a calculating way.

“Sure, we can do that.” Louis says simply and Harry nods and he desperately wishes Louis would remember like him.

*

It’s not awkward…much. Eleanor doesn’t speak to him very often but that doesn’t put him off. She doesn’t talk to him very often on a good day. Louis talks to him though, a lot. They’ve been best friends since they were kids (and in the other lives of course). It’s weird though, knowing the things they’ve done in the past while Louis remembers nothing.

“I can’t believe Rebecca was one of the witches.” Eleanor speaks up during a lull in the conversation and Harry and Louis both look at her. They shift uncomfortably because Harry knows that Louis doesn’t believe that anyone was a witch but that wasn’t something you went around telling anyone. That just got you strung up next to the accused.

“She deserved it though.” Eleanor shrugs and Harry catches Louis’s eye but they both say nothing. “Louis, are you ready to go?” Eleanor turns to her husband and Harry’s eyes flit to the man he knows so well that doesn’t remember him.

“Yes, thank you for dinner Harry,” Louis wipes his mouth and Harry nods and sees them out of the door.

He reaches out to touch Louis’s arm. “See you tomorrow?”

“Of course.”

*

“Harry stop, what are you talking about?” Louis shakes his head and Harry lets out an exasperated sigh.

“You don’t remember? You really don’t remember us?”

“You’re talking like a crazy person,” Louis pushes away from him and Harry grabs his arm and Louis shrugs him off. “No Harry,” Louis glares and he recoils because he’s never seen that look in Louis’s eyes throughout all his lives.

“But Louis!” He calls after him but Louis just ignores him.

*

“He’s a witch! He tried to seduce my husband in joining him in some ceremony with the devil,” Eleanor gasps and points at Harry who’s eyes widen in shock.

“What?!” He stands up in protest.

“You told Louis that you knew him in another life! You are a witch Harry Styles!” Eleanor shrieks and he looks over at Louis who does nothing but looks uncomfortable like he wants nothing more to leave.

“I am not a witch!” He looks back at the magistrate as two men come forward to grab his arms tightly and begin to lead him out of the room. He looks at Louis with a wild look in his eyes but again he does nothing. That’s probably what hurt the most.

*

He stood tall and proud, hands bound in front of him. He didn’t make eye contact with anyone in the crowd except with one person. He wasn’t afraid because he knew who was waiting for him in his next life. Perhaps he and Louis would be together like in Florence. Perhaps they would be able to stay together too.

He feels the scratchy rope circle his neck and he looks at Louis one last time. They connect gazes and right before the trap door falls under him. And in that moment he sees the realization in Louis’s eyes.

The last thing he hears before the rope snaps his neck his Louis calling out his name finally but it’s just a little too late.

*

_Salem was the fallout. They grow apart until finally they snap back together._

*

**Gettysburg: 1863**

“Damn Yankees,” Louis curses and ducks down behind a large boulder as gunfire rains down all around him. His horse is lying back a few yards away, screaming as it slowly dies from the bullet wound in its belly. He peers up over the rock and sees the navy uniforms creep closer and closer. He’s lost his gun (broken under his horse that’s now quieting down) and he’s defenseless. Oh and it doesn’t help that he’s got a lovely grey uniform on with two stars on it. The most he can hope for is to play dead and pray that they don’t check too closely.

He stays still as the gunfire slowly begins to cease and he hears shouts. It’s too late to move so he slips down to the ground and slumps over like he’s dead. They run right past him but he dares not move until the voices fade into the distance, only then does he shift.

He sneaks out from behind the rock and slips through the trees. He keeps low to the ground, knowing his pale grey uniform is a stark contrast to the darkness of the trees around him. He looks behind him, like he can hear the snapping of twigs but there’s nothing there. He knows he’s being paranoid but that’s what’s kept him alive these last few months.

He knows the Confederate states are going to lose but it’s too late to back out now, not when he would be shot and killed if he landed into the enemy’s hands. He’s got too much of their blood staining his skin to be considered for anything else but target practice. He knows how these things go. He’s not afraid. Well…he is afraid but he’s not going to show it in the face of death.

He stumbles through the woods, tripping over dead bodies, a few he recognizes but most he doesn’t. He’s gotten numb over the months and the years of fighting. Death of the people he knows doesn’t have as much as an impact as it did at the beginning. Perhaps that makes him cold, or perhaps that makes him a survivor.

He hears something behind him once again and he stops, turning quickly around but again, sees nothing. He’s too paranoid now. He’s hearing things but he’s taking no chances. He crouches down and runs, a grey streak in the dark forest. He doesn’t stop until he trips over a root and goes sprawling.

“Hey!” He hears a voice call out and he scrambles to his feet, running this time not even bothering to hide this time. There are footsteps behind him and then he’s tackled to the ground. “Stop!” The voice commands and he struggles against the person holding him down but they don’t budge and he finally just goes limp. He can see their face now. It’s dirty and their hair is matted in a giant curly mess but he freezes at the navy on their hat.

“You gonna kill me?” He whispers gruffly and smirks. At least he can go with a little good ol’ country sarcasm.

“What? I’m not a killer.” The man (boy) sits back on his haunches and Louis shifts so that he’s half way sitting up, leaning on his elbows.

“Whatchu doin’ in a war then boy?” He asks and he can see the bright green of the boy’s eyes.

“I’m a medic. I go through the battle field once the shooting stops.”

“Well ain’t you just a saint,” Louis scoffs but secretly he’s glad that he’s not going to die at the hands of this excuse of a soldier.

“I’m far from a saint,” The boy laughs a little bitterly and Louis studies him.

“What’s your name?” He asks and the boy looks up at him, surprised that he would even ask such a thing.

“Harry.”

“’M Louis.” He nods and swallows thickly. It’s been a while since he’s had anything to drink and his woolen uniform is doing him no favors.

“Oh, here,” Harry hands him a canteen and he hesitates. “Don’t worry, it’s not poisoned or anything.”

“Thanks.” He mutters and takes a gulp, closing his eyes as the cool water runs down his throat.

“So how did you get wrapped up in the Confederacy?” Harry asks as he takes the canteen back from Louis.

“Nothing else I could really do. They needed men, I needed something to keep my hands busy,” Louis shrugs and brings his knees to his chest. “What about you?”

“Pretty much the same. Didn’t have much a home so maybe this war will last for a while. I’ve got nowhere else but the battlefield at this point.” Harry gives a sad little smile and Louis has to wonder what could really force someone to choose battle over a home. Louis has a place to go back to, a loving family and everything. He just couldn’t sit still.

They sit in silence for a little bit, Louis studying Harry when he’s not looking and there’s something about the boy that tickles the back of his mind but he just can’t quite capture the thought. Every time he tries he loses it once again. But then Harry looks at him and the moon shines just right through the trees and hits those green eyes and suddenly he’s grasping the thought in victory but in that victory he’s jerking back in shock as the memories spill out. Harry looks at him in confusion.

“Louis? You okay?” Harry reaches out to touch his arm.

“Oh god Harry, I’m so sorry.” His bottom lips quivers and Harry shakes his head, still not getting it and perhaps that’s his punishment for Salem and not remembering then, but no one like Eleanor is around this time.

“Salem…god…” He trials off and just reaches out on an impulse and wraps Harry in a tight hug and the boy stiffens in his grip.

“What are you talking about? Like Salem Witch Trials with the—“ Harry freezes and Louis eyes close and he swallows as the unshed tears from that other life finally get a chance to fall down his cheeks. “Oh Louis…” Harry breathes and hugs him back.

“I should have done something Harry, I never got to even say goodbye,” Louis grips Harry’s uniform tightly and he realizes just how like this life is like the last one. They’re on opposite sides and it’s like the fates are just laughing at them. “We need to get out of here.”

Harry releases him and nods. They get to their feet and Louis loses his grey cap and they slink through the trees.

“I knew that I would see you again,” Harry whispers. “That’s why I didn’t blame you in Salem. You know what I thought of before the door went out under me?” Louis can’t even talk, his throat is closed so much. “I thought of what you would be like in the next life and if we could have our Renaissance again.”

“This is a far cry from Renaissance,” Louis says in his southern accent that has Harry giggling.

“I like this accent of yours. Very charming.”

“Oh shut your trap,” He smiles and Harry giggles again.

“Do you really believe in slavery?” Harry asks with a cock of his head and Louis shakes his head.

“No, but they were the first army to get their hands on me. Though I do believe you were my servant weren’t you?”

“Don’t you dare bring up Troy again.” Harry rolls his eyes and Louis just laughs. He hasn’t laughed like this in so long. It’s amazing just how quickly he can fall back in with the boy he knows like the back of his hand. This is the first life that they haven’t grown up together and it was just pure luck (or fate, isn’t that’s what bring them together each time?) that they met on a battlefield in the bloodiest war of the history of the United States.

“We should probably get you out of that uniform before—“ Harry starts but is cut off by the sound of a gunshot and Louis feels a burning on his arm but he dives for cover.

“It’s a Reb!” A voice yells out.

“NO!” Harry screams and holds up his hands as Louis grabs his arm. Fortunately it’s just a graze but he has a feeling that he’s about to get something much worse.

“Get out of the way boy.” A gruff voice orders Harry who shields Louis.

“Please don’t!” Harry begs and the man growls.

“If you protect him you’re just as worse as the rest of them.” The man glares, rifle held at the ready. Harry straightens and his chin raises.

“Fine, shoot us both then.”

“Harry don’t you dare,” Louis hisses and Harry turns to him with a fierce look in his eyes.

“I’m not losing you again. I’m not doing a repeat of that damn castle.” Harry grits his teeth and Louis can see the tears in his eyes threatening to spill over. “I had to live fourteen more years without you. I’m not doing that again, not after I’ve found you. I can’t do it.”

The man looks between the two of them, obviously confused. “What the hell?”

“Kill us then.” Harry snaps at him and the man backs off. He’s obviously not used to someone giving up their lives so easily.

“I…If I see you two again, I’m not hesitating. Don’t think I won’t.” The man threatens and slowly melts back into the forest and he breathes a sigh of relief as Harry slumps and they hug each other tightly, he wincing at the graze.

“You never told me about that.” He whispers and Harry gives him a sad look.

“It doesn’t exactly come up in regular conversation.” Louis smiles a little at that.

“No I suppose it doesn’t.”

They get to their feet and Louis hesitantly slips his hand in Harry and he remembers Pompeii. Harry looks at their clasped hands and then looks back up into his eyes and a smile that reminds him about everything about Harry.

“So when we get out of here what are we going to do?” Harry asks and Louis opens his mouth to answer but he doesn’t get a chance because another gunshot goes off. Harry’s body jerks and he sputters, looking down at the blooming spot on his uniform.

“Harry? Oh god no…please no.” Louis begs as Harry slumps into him, his hands shaking as he lightly touches the wound at Harry’s heart. “No no no no no no please no Harry I just found you please don’t.” Louis cries out and feels his heart breaking because there’s a ghost of a smile on Harry’s face. He feels tears sparking at his eyes.

“NO DAMMIT!” He rises from the ground, rage coursing through him. “WHERE ARE YOU?!” He yells into the woods, spit flying from his lips. “COME KILL ME TOO THEN!” But he doesn’t get anything. “Coward.” He whispers and falls to his knees. He can’t even pull a Romeo and Juliet because he doesn’t have anything to kill himself with.

Harry’s just lying there and Louis feels guilty more than anything. This is the second time he’s died before Harry. He can’t do this.

He doesn’t know how long he sits there, long enough that he can’t cry anymore. He’s numb all over.

The sun comes up and he hears the start of gunfire close to him. They’ve moved the battlefield to the woods. A little smile appears on his lips as he walks towards the sound of the guns. Sometimes he wishes that they could just go back to the swords of Troy. He was good with a sword.

He keeps his mind blank except of HarryHarryHarry as he walks through the battlefield. People look at him weirdly but then they’ve seen worse than a man walking to his death.

He doesn’t have to wait long until a sudden white-hot burst and then he’s falling and he’s just thinking of those moss green eyes and that smile.

*

_Gettysburg was just a brush. A gentle touch, nothing more. They’re recovering._

*

**Birkenau: 1943**

“Louis,” Harry hisses and he gets a weak grunt. “Here,” He passes the bread through the slat in the pathetic excuse for a cabin.

“Thanks,” Louis says softly and he nods before quickly moving back to his position. He didn’t want to sign up for this war, he didn’t want to have to drag men, women, and children to their deaths. This was not him, this was not who he was.

It was funny to think that he was on the outside while Louis was on the inside. When they grew up in the same German neighborhood he was the one following Louis around like a lost puppy. Now he’s the one sneaking him food, delaying the inevitable.

They remembered when they were just teenagers. They both knew of the attraction and for once decided to act on it. Just a quick, hesitant kiss in the stairwell of their apartment complex. Good thing they were gripping the railing tight or they might have just toppled to their deaths from the sheer force the memories hit them. From then on they were inseparable, stealing kisses in the abandoned church.

“Why didn’t we do this sooner?” Louis had asked one day and Harry just shrugged.

“We didn’t exactly have the time now did we?”

“There was Renaissance,” Louis shrugged, “But I think you were more in love with your paintings than me.”

“Was not! I always wanted to kiss you but I never built up the courage. So I painted out kisses in the paintings that I made.”

Louis’s eyes go soft at that. “Really?”

“Yes really. I painted it in the sky and the trees.” Harry’s eyes sparkle and he feels kind of cheesy but isn’t that what love makes you do? “Now we can finally hold each other right?”

Louis nods and smiles fondly at him. “Of course.” And they feel asleep in each other’s arms.

It didn’t get to last long though. Hitler came into power and people followed him and his eloquent words.

“Doesn’t he remind you of those women in Salem?” Louis whispers as they watch Hitler from the back of the crowd.

“You mean like Eleanor?” He says a little bitterly and Louis’s face falls.

“I’m still disgusted with myself.” Louis looks down at his shoes on the cobblestone street.

“Oh just forget it Lou, I’ve forgiven you.” He smirks at the boy who still looks guilty and probably will continue to feel guilty about it till then end of…well would they even have an end?

They continue to listen to Hitler as the whole world watches and they watch as the world changes around them. Louis begins to fear for his life. Everyone knows he’s Jewish.

The day they take him Louis has to be physically dragged away from Harry.

“No! Harry don’t let them please!” The fear in Louis scares him. So it’s what motivates him to join the army. He “conforms” to their ideas but keeps his own motives a secret. It isn’t until he’s moved to one of the concentration camps that he feels like he’s accomplished something.

The first time he sees Louis walking through the mud, thin pants and a pathetic excuse of shoes on his feet while he’s shivering through his woolen uniform (that reminds him of his navy one), he’s rooted to the spot because in just the few months that he’s been separated from the boy he loves Louis has become a scary skeleton.

“Louis,” He hisses when the boy passes him the next day and Louis looks up hesitantly at him and he’s stunned at the dull look in the once sparkling blue eyes that haunted his dreams as he tried to find his way back to them. They recognize him though and a faint spark appears once more.

“Harry?”

“Here, come over here.” He grips Louis’s arm (his hand almost wrapping all the way around the limb) and pulls him to where the other guards can’t see them.

“What are you doing here?” Louis asks him, eyes perking up more now.

“To be with you of course.” He smirks and Louis gives him a faint smile.

“We’re always together though, if not in this life then the next.” Louis shrugs and Harry steps back as he realizes that Louis has given up.

“This place has really changed you huh?” He whispers and Louis looks down at the ground.

“I just want to die.” Louis closes his eyes and Harry feels his heart squeeze tightly.

“Don’t say that,” he whispers, “Please. Don’t ever say that again.”

“But why can’t I just die Harry huh? Any life is better than this, starving day after day, getting beaten, freezing.” Louis hisses, eyes flashing. It’s the first time he’s seen Louis actually act like he was alive since he’s come to the camp. “We’re just going to find each other later so why can’t I just die?”

“But what if we don’t? What if this is it?” He says after a while and Louis just stares at him, eyes glazed with disbelief.

“Pretty shitty way to end it then.” Louis says and Harry just steps forward to wrap his body around the way too skinny frame.

“I’m going to get you out of here, I promise.” He whispers in Louis’s ear and he’s sure that Louis won’t actually believe him until it happens.

So he starts sneaking Louis his extra rations. He makes sure that he’s in charge or at least near to where Louis is working that day. They make eye contact and it’s only then that those blue eyes wake up and it’s like it’s the reassurance that Louis needs to keep going just one more day.

Harry tries to figure out a way to sneak them out. He keeps trying and trying but he soon comes to the conclusion that it’s pointless. They other guards don’t trust him and anything coming in or out is specially guarded. He doesn’t tell Louis though and as the boy loses more and more body weight he’s losing more and more hope that they will ever be together. It seems like each and every life they meet something happens to keep them apart. He’s not sure if it’s just them or the fates toying with them.

“Harry I know we aren’t getting out together.” Louis says one day during their secret rendezvous.

“What are you talking about Lou? Of course we’re getting out okay? I have a plan.” He says with fake confidence and Louis just gives him a sad smile.

“Let me die Harry okay? Please.”

It’s that please that gets him. The please is so innocent and heartfelt and even though he feels like he should fight it he can’t make himself deny Louis’s request.

“But I’ll miss you,” He says softly and Louis reaches out with a skinny hand and cups his cheek.

“We’ll be together soon, I promise.”

“I know.”

So Louis goes to his death in the building with the two burning smokestacks and Harry’s left all alone in the cold world.

*

_Birkenau was where they willing let the other go. They’ve come so far together, but never far enough. They can’t keep the other for long and each life feels like just a fleeting moment in time._

*

**Florida: 1986**

“First flight ever, you excited or nervous or going to puke?” Louis pokes Harry who just gives him a fake glare.

“Give me at least a little dignity here,” Harry rolls his eyes and Louis just grins, looking around really quickly before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“It’s gonna be amazing, trust me.”

They met during school then grew together during the intensive training that came with becoming an astronaut. They kept their relationship a secret but it was hard when you had such an obvious connection with someone that you could almost sense when they were feeling down or threatened. In the end it didn’t even matter, they were going to be put on the Challenger flight either way. They were the best at what they did and the fact that they were dating didn’t hinder that.

It was more than just dating though. In a way they were married ever since England in the 1300s, the first time they weren’t together in the end. It was there that something had changed in their relationship, perhaps it brought them closer together but Louis always thought it made them more dependent on the other.

“You guys ready?” A man pokes his head in the room and they nod along with the five other crew members, one being a female teacher along for the ride. They start to get suited up, hideous grey-blue jumpsuits that Harry had complained clashed with his eyes.

“I always loved your eyes,” he had just said and Harry gave him a soft look and a little private smile.

He reaches down to step into his jumpsuit, zipping up from the crotch and snorting as Harry struggles with his own. “Here let me help.” He reaches over to help Harry zip the stuck zipper and Harry gives him a little embarrassed “thanks”.

“Okay I’m a little nervous,” Harry whispers to Louis as they line up to walk out to the shuttle, major television stations waiting outside to catch their journey across the catwalk.

“I’m a little nervous too, even if this is my third run,” Louis whispers back encouragingly. Harry’s eyes search his and as they begin to walk Harry grabs his arm and drags him in for a quick but passionate kiss. “Wow what was that for?”

“Just in case.” Harry’s eyes gleam and they both have stupid looks on their faces as they walk a little late behind the other five passengers, waving to the TV camera’s set up.

People help them get strapped into their seats. It’s a lot of awkward movements to say the least with the way that the seats are set up. They have to climb up the shuttle to sit in their chairs. Louis is next to Harry of course. Harry’s the lead on the missions outside the shuttle in outer space while Louis is in charge of the on board experiments. They go hand in hand just like themselves.

Now they’re just waiting for the countdown as the astronaut in charge of communication and actually flying the shuttle get settled in.

Louis rolls his head toward Harry and holds out his hand for Harry to take. He does of course and Louis squeezes his larger hand softly which gets a soft smile out of Harry and he can see the slight sheen of sweat on Harry’s brow. He knows the boy is nervous and he’s slightly nervous but he’s been through this twice before with nothing wrong happening.

Right before the countdown begins Harry looks at him with wide eyes.

“Louis I’ve got that feeling again,” Harry whispers and Louis knows exactly what feeling he’s talking about.

“Are you sure?” Louis whispers back as the countdown begins and they feel the boosters ignite. It’s too late now and Harry squeezes his hand tightly. The sound in the cabin is almost deafening as they disconnect from the platform and the G-force keeps them tightly bound to their seats.

Things are fine, the communications astronaut is keeping up with base at NASA. The on-board engineer isn’t worried at all. Until…

“Uh oh.” The lead astronaut says and Louis looks over at Harry with a panicked look on his face.

“I love you!” He yells at the boy and Harry opens his mouth to say something but then an explosion happens and the cabin goes up in a bright white light and Louis is almost reminded of Gettysburg and those bullets ripped through him.

Then…

*

_The Challenger was the closer than they’ve ever been before. They’re getting close. They’re almost one string bound together forever._

*

**England: 2010**

Harry sighs and walks into the restroom. He’s exhausted from having all these dance moves shoved down his throat. He’s not a dancer; he’s a singer and nothing more. Literately, he’s pretty sure if he tried dancing he would trip over his own feet like he always does.

He nearly runs into a boy who’s already in there.

“Oh sorry.” He mutters, eyes on the ground, and moves around him.

“No problem,” the boy smiles at him and he freezes and his eyes trailing up from the floor and stops on those blue eyes. He gasps and jerks back.

The burning of the wooden horse, the volcano looming above them, the deadly disease, the paint swirling on canvas, the scratchy rope around his neck and judging eyes, the sounds of gunshots around him, the smell of burning bodies, and the white light and the final “I love you”.

“Louis.” He whispers and he can see the recognition in the boy across from him.

“Harry,” Louis breathes back and they’re together.

They’re finally together and nothing can take them away.

*

_The story of HarryandLouis begins at Troy, but it’s doesn’t end there, it will never end. Not as long as they have each other._

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](http://www.kathleenhasfeelsandwords.tumblr.com) (:


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